Washing agent dispensing device, particularly for a dishwashing machine

ABSTRACT

A dispensing device ( 1 ) for a dishwashing machine, the dispensing device ( 1 ) including a body ( 2 ) configured to be mounted to a door of the dishwashing machine; a receptacle ( 3 ) formed in the body ( 2 ) to receive a quantity of a washing or rinsing agent; a movable lid ( 5 ) associated with the receptacle ( 3 ) and displaceable in a manner constrained to the body ( 2 ) against the action of a spring ( 8 ) from an open position into a closed position, where it opens and closes the receptacle ( 3 ), respectively; a guiding arrangement for constraining the displacement of the lid ( 5 ) between the open position and the closed position, the guiding arrangement including pins ( 5   a,    5   b ) formed in the lid and corresponding grooves ( 6   a,    6   b ) formed in the body; and a latching apparatus ( 11, 13 ) provided for locking the lid ( 5 ) in the closed position and operable to release the lid ( 5 ) from the closed position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a dispensing device for a washingand/or rinsing agent, in particular a dispensing device to be mounted toa wall of a door which faces a washing chamber of a dishwashing machine.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a dispensing devicecomprising:

-   -   a body configured to be mounted to a door of the dishwashing        machine on the side directed during operation towards a washing        chamber of said dishwashing machine;    -   at least one receptacle formed in the body and intended to        receive a quantity of a washing or rinsing agent;    -   at least one movable lid associated with said at least one        receptacle and displaceable in a manner constrained to the body        against the action of resilient return means from an open        position into a closed position, where it opens and closes the        receptacle, respectively;    -   guiding means for constraining the displacement of the lid        between the open position and the closed position, said guiding        means comprising a plurality of pins formed in one of said lid        and body and corresponding grooves formed in the other of said        lid and body; and    -   a latching apparatus provided for locking the lid in the closed        position and operable to release the lid from the closed        position.

BACKGROUND

Dispensing devices are known, wherein the lid is slidable alongrectilinear grooves formed in the body of the dispensing device.

One object of the present invention is to provide an alternativeconfiguration for a dispensing device for dispensing at least onewashing agent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This and other objects are achieved according to the invention with adispensing device of the type initially specified, characterised in thatat least one, and preferably each of said grooves comprises anintermediate, main length having a curved shape with its concavityfacing towards the receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description, which is given purelyby way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the attacheddrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1a is a plan view of a dispensing device according to the presentinvention, in closed position;

FIGS. 1b and 1c are sectioned views of the dispensing device of FIG. 1a, taken along the lines B-B and C-C, respectively;

FIGS. 2a to 2c are views of the dispensing device in an intermediateposition, corresponding to FIGS. 1a to 1 c, respectively; and

FIGS. 3a to 3c are views of the dispensing device in open position,corresponding to FIGS. 1a to 1 c, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the drawings, the reference number 1 indicates the whole of anintegrated dispensing device including a dispenser of washing agent ordetergent according to the present invention.

In a per se known manner, such an integrated dispensing device 1 isintended to be fixed to an inner wall of a door delimiting a washingchamber of a dishwashing machine.

Although the attached drawings show an integrated dispensing device alsocomprising a dispenser of rinse agent or rinse aid, the presentinvention is not limited to the embodiment of the washing agentdispenser in a form in which it is integrated with such a furtherdispenser of rinse agent.

The dispensing device 1 comprises a body 2, for example made of mouldedplastic, which is intended to be connected (in a manner known per se andnot shown) to the door of the dishwashing machine on the side directedduring operation towards the washing chamber of this dishwashingmachine.

The body 2 comprised a recessed receptacle 3, essentially in the form ofa tray. The receptacle 3 is intended to receive a quantity of washingagent, such as a powder detergent or a liquid detergent or a solidwashing agent in the form of “soap bar” or tablet. The edge of thereceptacle 3 is provided with a peripheral projection 4.

The device 1 comprises a movable lid 5 which is associated with thereceptacle 3 and is connected to the body 2. The movable lid 5 isdisplaceable in a manner constrained to the body 2 between a closedposition (FIG. 1a ) and an open position (FIG. 3a ), where it sealinglycloses and opens the receptacle 3, respectively. The lid 5 comprises agasket arranged on its side facing towards the receptacle 3, which inthe closed position is engaged by the peripheral projection 4surrounding the receptacle 3. However, alternative arrangements arepossible; for example, the peripheral projection may be formed on thelid, and the gasket may correspondingly be arranged around thereceptacle.

As shown in FIGS. 1c to 3 c, the lid 5 comprises, on each of its lateralsides (only one of which is shown in the drawings), a pair of pins 5 a,5 b integrally formed with the lid 5 and slidably arranged in respectivegrooves 6 a, 6 b formed in the body 2 of the dispenser 1. According toalternative embodiments, the pins may be formed with the body and thegrooves may be correspondingly formed in the lid.

A first one of the grooves, 6 a, slidably receives a first one of thepins, 5 a, and comprises an intermediate, main length 6 a′ having acurved shape with its concavity facing towards the body 2. Inparticular, the intermediate, main length 6 a′ may have an approximatelyparabolic shape. Furthermore, the first groove 6 a comprises an endlength 6 a″ connected to the intermediate, main length 6 a′ at aconnection point and forming a non-zero angle with a tangent to theintermediate, main length 6 a′ at the connection point.

A second one of the grooves, 6 b, slidably receives a second one of thepins, 5 b, and comprises an intermediate, main length 6 b′ having acurved shape with its concavity facing towards the body 2. Inparticular, the intermediate, main length 6 b′ may have an approximatelyparabolic shape. Furthermore, the second groove 6 b comprises a firstend length 6 b″ and a second end length 6 b′″ connected to theintermediate, main length 6 b′ at respective connection points. Each endlength 6 b″ and 6 b′″ forms a non-zero angle with a tangent to theintermediate, main length 6 b′ at the respective connection point. Thefirst end length 6 b″ is at the end of the second groove 6 b adjacent tothe first groove 6 a, while the second end length 6 b′″ is at the end ofthe second groove 6 b far from the first groove 6 a.

The grooves 6 a, 6 b and pins 5 a, 5 b cooperate to define thetrajectory of the lid between the closed position and the end position.As shown in FIGS. 1b to 3 b, in the mid of this trajectory the lid 5 isfarther from the body 2 or, more precisely, farther from a portion ofthe body 2 underlying the lid 5 (FIG. 2b ), while at the end of thetrajectory the lid 5 is closer to this portion of the body 2 underlyingthe lid 5 (FIGS. 1b and 3b ). In particular, the end length 6 a″ of thefirst grove 6 a and the first end length 6 b″ of the second grooves 6 bare configured in such a way as that, when the lid 5 is in closedposition, the gasket of the lid 5 engages the peripheral projection 4 ofthe receptacle 3 (FIG. 1b ).

As shown in FIG. 1 c, the end length 6 a″ of the first grove 6 a and thefirst end length 6 b″ of the second groove 6 b are configured in such away as that, when the lid 5 is in closed position, it assumes a firstorientation represented by line I in FIGS. 1c and 3 c, connecting thecentral points of the pins 5 a and 5 b in the closed position of thelid. Furthermore, the first groove 6 a and the second end length 6 b″ ofthe second groove 6 b are configured in such a way as that, when the lid5 is in open position, it assumes a second orientation represented byline II in FIG. 3c , connecting the central points of the pins 5 a and 5b in the open position of the lid. The first orientation I of the lid 5in closed position and the second orientation II of the lid 5 in openposition form a non-zero angle α with respect to each other. Therefore,during displacement between open and closed position the lid 5 performsboth a translating and a tilting motion. Advantageously, the curvedshape of the grooves 6 a, 6 b prevents the lid 5 from scraping againstthe underlying portion of the body 2 during transition between theclosed position and the open position.

A resilient return member, such as a spring 8, is associated with thelid 5, said return member tending to cause the latter to slide towardsthe open position. This return spring may be, for example, a torsionspring.

When the movable lid 5 is situated in the closed position (FIG. 1), alatching apparatus keeps it in this position against the action of thereturn spring 8 which would tend to bring it back into the openposition. This latching apparatus may comprise a resiliently biasedlatching member (not shown) arranged on the lid 5 and fixedly connectedto a manually operated opening member 11, as well as an automaticallycontrolled striker member 13 arranged on the body 2 and operativelyconnected to an electrically controlled actuator (not shown).

The latching apparatus is provided for locking the lid 5 in the closedposition and is operable to release the lid 5 from the closed position,either manually, by operating the opening member 11 with a finger of theuser, or automatically, by controlling the actuator associated with thestriker member 13. The constitution of the latching apparatus is notessential for the purposes of the present invention.

In the example shown in the drawings, the above described guiding meansare applied only to the lid 5 associated to the receptacle for thewashing agent. In further embodiments, these guiding means can beapplied also to a lid associated to a receptacle for the rinsing agent.

Clearly, provided that the principle of the invention is retained, theforms of construction and the details of embodiment can be varied widelyfrom what has been described herein purely by way of a non-limitingexample, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention asdefined by the attached claims.

1. A dispensing device (1) for a washing and/or rinsing agent, inparticular for a dishwashing machine, said dispensing device (1)comprising: a body (2) configured to be mounted to a door of thedishwashing machine on the side directed during operation towards awashing chamber of said dishwashing machine; at least one receptacle (3)formed in the body (2) and intended to receive a quantity of a washingor rinsing agent; at least one movable lid (5) associated with said atleast one receptacle (3) and displaceable in a manner constrained to thebody (2) against the action of resilient return means (8) from an openposition into a closed position, where it opens and closes thereceptacle (3), respectively; guiding means for constraining thedisplacement of the lid (5) between the open position and the closedposition, said guiding means comprising a plurality of pins (5 a, 5 b)formed in one of said lid and body and corresponding grooves (6 a, 6 b)formed in the other of said lid and body; and a latching apparatus (11,13) provided for locking the lid (5) in the closed position and operableto release the lid (5) from the closed position; characterized in thatat least one of said grooves (6 a, 6 b) comprises an intermediate, mainlength (6 a′, 6 b′) having a curved shape with its concavity facingtowards the body (2).
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein saidintermediate, main length (6 a′, 6 b′) has an approximately parabolicshape.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein each of said groovescomprise at least one end length (6 a″, 6 b″, 6 b′″) connected to theintermediate, main length (6 a′, 6 b′) at a connection point and forminga non-zero angle with a tangent to the intermediate, main length (6 a′,6 b′) at said connection point.
 4. A device according to claim 1,wherein said guiding means comprise a pair of pins (5 a, 5 b) and a pairof corresponding grooves (6 a, 6 b) arranged at each lateral side of thelid (5).
 5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said grooves arearranged in such a way as that, when the lid (5) is in the closedposition, it assumes a first orientation (I) and, when the lid (5) is inthe open position, it assumes a second orientation (II), said first andsecond orientations forming a non-zero angle (α) with respect to eachother.